INS Brahmaputra fire: Navy will enquire into incident, search on for missing sailor, says Vice Admiral
The ship experienced severe listing to one side (port side), and despite all efforts, it could not be brought to the upright position, the Navy said in a statement.
Days after the indigenous INS Brahmaputra was damaged following a fire incident, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the Vice Chief of the Indian Navy, on Tuesday said the frigate, which has tilted on its side after a blaze broke out onboard, can be made upright. He asserted a damage assessment would be done.
The sailor who went missing after the fire on Sunday was seen walking out of the ship, and a search is on to trace him, said Vice Admiral Swaminathan.
"A fire broke out on board the multi-role frigate on the evening of July 21 while she was undergoing refit at Naval Dockyard Mumbai. The blaze was brought under control by the ship’s crew with the help of firefighters from the dockyard and other vessels in the harbour by Monday morning," the Navy had said in a press release.
Navy to probe fire incident
"It is a sad incident, but the Navy will enquire into it. Whatever corrective measures need to be taken will certainly be taken," Vice Admiral Swaminathan said while speaking to a media person at Vasco in South Goa.
A lot of water was used to douse the fire, and perhaps the ship's stability was upset because of this, and it tilted to one side and is resting on the jetty, he said.
"The ship can very well be made upright once the water is pumped out, and we can do a damage assessment," he said.
Asked about the sailor who went missing after the incident, the vice admiral said, "We don't know where the sailor is. He was seen coming out of the ship. A search is on to trace him."
(With PTI inputs)
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